Brexit: Labour braced to call confidence vote in government within days if May’s deal is voted down, Corbyn signals

13/01/2019

Labour is braced to call a confidence vote in the government within days if Theresa May’s Brexit deal is voted down, Jeremy Corbyn has signalled. The Labour leader refused to commit to the exact timing of the challenge except that it would be “soon”, as part of his party’s efforts to force a snap general election. Officially,…

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The prime minister is facing a historic defeat on her Brexit deal on Tuesday, with some estimates suggesting she could lose by around 200 votes.

Officially, Labour is waiting for the best moment, but party whips have reportedly told MPs to prepare for a no-confidence motion to be tabled immediately if the deal is rejected, suggesting it could be done on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Mr Corbyn told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “We will table a motion of no confidence in the government at a time of our choosing. But it’s going to be soon, don’t worry about it.”

If the prime minister loses the vote, she will be forced to return to the Commons within three days with a plan B, which would be the window for Labour to intervene.

However if the party fails to trigger a general election, Mr Corbyn would be under pressure to back a second referendum, a strategy that is popular with many Labour members.

Asked about the prospect, he said: “My own view is that I’d rather get a negotiated deal now, if we can, to stop the danger of a no-deal exit from the EU on March 29 – which would be catastrophic for industry, catastrophic for trade and the long-term effects of that would be huge.”